Key sociocultural influences shaping Latinx students' pathways to engineering/CS: An ethnographic lens

Abstract

The underrepresentation of Latinas/as in engineering and computer science across the pipeline - from undergraduate studies into the profession - remains a persistent challenge. Based on 2017 NSF reports, only 10.3% of engineering and computer science degrees in the U.S. were awarded to Hispanics from 2004-2014 [1]. Similarly, a 2018 Pew report analyzing IPUMS data indicated that only 8% of the engineering workforce and 7% of the computing workforce, respectively, was comprised of Hispanics [2]. Studies from a range of disciplinary perspectives have shed light on some of the challenges faced by Hispanic students, hereby referred to using the gender-inclusive term “Latinx.” Some findings point to the role of decreased motivation and self-efficacy of Latinx students [3], [4], while others take a broader sociological perspective, highlighting the role that a “chilly climate” can play in the attrition of underrepresented minorities (URM) from engineering/CS [5].